Comment by ThomPete | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ThomPete | Hacker News Reader

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Hmmm

I am not so sure this is a fair comparison. One thing I think it lacks is patronage competitors (and thus competition).

The article seemed to indicate (unwillingly) that it was a unique combination of non-reproducible scenarios i.e. talent and talent scout. It's not like there weren't other places with other talent and patrons.

Also SV teaches us the exact opposite since it didn't start with a city with lots of money and lots of patrons (they came over time)

I think a much more likely explanation is the same that spur many other sudden sparks excellence within a short time and geographic location and that is. Some sort of right combination of progress in a number of fields, the availability of money and a fairly progressive time in history in that area.

I.e. luck more than anything else. (Just like nation building btw)

Aren't Angels, Seed focused VCs and incubators essentially patrons? In many ways the modern patron of the arts is the Angel investor funding technological arts that may never become viable businesses.

They take what they fund. Also, when patents are involved, the big company that ends up acquiring it often uses it to discourage innovation outside their company. So, quite different from a patron model in practice due to incentives.

Now, this doesn't stop a company or VC from acting like a patron. We've seen a number of them release open-source software, publish papers on working strategy/tech, sponsor R&D that is similarly public, and so on. I'm not sure what the percentage is but it shows the models aren't exclusive. It's just the incentives shift VC stuff far in another direction from Da Vinci or Michelangos making goods for the public. Really far per some billionaires. ;)

That's a really optimistic view of a patron, patrons purchased or owned much of the work they helped create. That was the point of being a patron.

I havent really studied the concept much. People talk like it was charity or something. Thanks for correction.

It varied from patron to patron similar to how it varies VC to VC. Some would directly commission work, others would work to establish connections with people who would commission work, and to some it was similar to being on retainer.

Gotcha.

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